quête:rich brian

Synthpop, minimal wave, post-punk, goth, new romantic - fans and critics alike have dug deeply into their vintage thesauruses to describe the beguiling work of Nation of Language. And if you can't precisely define the band, that's the point. Frontman Ian Richard Devaney has become prodigious in expanding what synthesizer-driven music can evoke, such that his output is as much an extrasensory journey as it is an all-too-human destination. With that experience in mind, he wrote the band's fourth album - the spectral, spacious Dance Called Memory - in the most humble of ways: chipping away at melancholia by sitting around and strumming his guitar. Nation of Language's first two albums, Introduction, Presence (2020), and A Way Forward (2021), came as pandemic godsends: gorgeous, relatable soundtracks to our collective doldrums. But it was their last LP, Strange Disciple (2023), that catapulted the group from cultural standouts to critical darlings, with the album being named Rough Trade's Album of the Year. With that release, Pitchfork wrote that the band "are learning what it means to get bigger and better." This is Devaney's calling: soulfully translating individual despair into a comforting, collective mourning. The single "Now That You're Gone," which radiates and reverberates with a devastating wistfulness, was inspired by witnessing his godfather's tragic death from ALS, and his parents' role as caretakers for this ailing friend. At its heart, the song is a reflection of how friends can be there for each other, and also highlights a theme throughout the record: the pain and lost promise of friendships that fall apart. On Dance Called Memory, the band once again collaborated with friend and Strange Disciple producer Nick Millhiser (LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost!). "What's so great about Nick is his ability to make us feel like we don't need to do what might be expected of us," says synth player Aidan Noell, who, along with bassist Alex MacKay, rounds out the Nation of Language lineup. They imbued Dance Called Memory with a shifted palette - sampling chopped-up drum breaks on "I'm Not Ready for the Change" for a touch of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine or smashing all of the percussion of "In Another Life" through a synthesizer to cast a shade of early-2000s electronic music. Ultimately, the hope was to weave raw vulnerability and humanity into a synth-heavy album. "There is a dichotomy between the Kraftwerk school of thought and the Brian Eno school of thought, each of which I've been drawn to at different points. I've read about how Kraftwerk wanted to remove all the humanity from their music, but Eno often spoke about wanting to make synthesized music that felt distinctly human," Devaney says. "As much as Kraftwerk is a sonically foundational influence, with this record I leaned much more towards the Eno school of thought. In this era quickly being defined by the rise of AI supplanting human creators I'm focusing more on the human condition, and I need the underlying music to support that_ Instead of hopelessness, I want to leave the listener with a feeling of us really seeing one another, that our individual struggles can actually unite us in empathy."

Which musical artists influenced David Bowie? Which records did he listen to over and over again during his youth and beyond? Who were his favorite songwriters and composers? What were his favorites? And in the case of such an artist, unique in his genre from the beginning to the end of his career, is the term “influences” the right one? As we delved into Bowie’s work, we learned that, even if he was the type to pick and choose from all over the place, he drew most of his inspiration from himself

Voivod wurde 1982 in Jonquière, Quebec, von Sänger Denis „Snake“ Belanger, Gitarrist Denis „Piggy“ D'Amour, Bassist Jean-Yves „Blacky“ Thériault und Schlagzeuger Michael „Away“ Langevin gegründet und nahm eine Reihe von Demos auf, bevor Brian Slagel auf die Band aufmerksam wurde und einen Vertrag mit Metal Blade Records unterzeichnete. Das Ergebnis war das furiose Debütalbum „War And Pain“, das im August 1984 veröffentlicht wurde. Zu dieser Zeit teilten sich alle vier Mitglieder eine Wohnung in Montreal und lebten von 150 Dollar Sozialhilfe pro Woche. Da sie die Schule bereits hinter sich hatten, konnten sie fast jeden Tag proben, was zur Entstehung ihres zweiten Albums „Rrröööaaarrr“ führte. Während der Aufnahme des Albums wurde fast die gesamte Ausrüstung aus dem Proberaum gestohlen. Um Geld aufzutreiben, organisierte die Band zusammen mit ihrem Manager Maurice Richard das legendäre „World War III“-Festival. Dort lernten sie Karl-Ulrich Walterbach kennen, der Voivod davon überzeugte, bei seinem Label Noise Records zu unterschreiben. Nach „Rrröööaaarrr“ von 1986 hieß Voivods zweites Album für Noise „Killing Technology“ und gilt weithin als der größte kreative und klangliche Sprung der Band. Es wurde in West-Berlin unter den wachsamen Augen von Harris Johns aufgenommen und kam 1987 auf den Markt. Weniger hektische Kompositionen wie „Tornado“, „Ravenous Medicine“ oder „Killing Technology“ hoben die Kanadier schnell von ihren Thrash-Zeitgenossen ab. „Rrröööaaarrr„ haben wir mit unserem Tontechniker in einer heruntergekommenen Schule ohne Geld selbst produziert“, erklärt Michael Langevin in dem Buch „Damn The Machine. The Story Of Noise Records“ des amerikanischen Autors David E. Gehlke. „Plötzlich hatten wir ein professionelles Umfeld, ein richtiges Studio mit einem richtigen Produzenten und ein Label, das die Finanzierung sicherstellte. Es ging Schritt für Schritt. Für „Killing Technology“ haben wir vielleicht ein bisschen langsamer gemacht. Wir konnten die Rollen spielen, und es hat viel Abwechslung. Es ist mein Lieblingsalbum und in meinen Ohren die perfekte Mischung aus Thrash, Prog und Hardcore. Es ist definitiv ein entscheidendes Album.“

The capstone of Miles Davis’ electric period, Agharta reigns as a funk-rock fireball — a blazing comet streaked energy and elan, a fearless organism feasting on adventure and freedom, a seven-headed Godzilla stomping its way through Osaka, Japan. Recorded on February 1, 1975 at Osaka Festival Hall at the first of a two-show stand, the double album offers an endless abundance of surprises and shifts — as well as a road-proven ensemble whose chemistry and abilities equal that of any of Davis’ celebrated bands. If the true measure of jazz is the capacity to adapt to the moment and challenge perception, Agharta is consummate.

Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM 2LP set of this epic live release presents it in audiophile sound on a domestic pressing for the first time. Offering greater degrees of separation, detail, and richness than the compressed CD editions and more clarity, openness, and presence than older vinyl copies, this version of the 1975 release helps bring the concert stage to your home. Just make sure your turntable and speakers are up to the challenge of Davis and Co.’s explosive performances — and producing the decibels they demand.

Teeming with vibrant colors, tones, and pace, Mobile Fidelity’s reissue captures the hear-it-to-believe-it flow, sweep, and moodiness of the music. Though the group honors looseness and freedom with religious verve, the specificity and scale rendered by this remaster allows you to detect methods behind the alleged madness that are often otherwise harder to discern. This insight extends to the understated changes in volume, harmonics, and phrasings. In many ways, you can listen as Davis himself did that early February evening as he helped coordinate the overall direction and decided on whether to blow his wah-wah-wired trumpet or take a turn on the organ.

Tellingly, Agharta would likely never have been made if not for Davis’ ventures overseas and, specifically, to the Land of the Rising Sun. Having for years faced a backlash on his native soil for his choices to experiment and blow past all known borders, Davis was welcomed with open arms in Japan. The concert documented on Agharta — as well as the day’s later show, captured on the equally exciting Pangea — stemmed from a sold-out three-week tour that would ultimately mark Davis’ final public appearances for years, as he soon settled into semi-retirement and nursed the wounds connected to an unprecedented stretch of restless and relentless output.

For all the band-fueled merit of Agharta — and there’s plenty, given the cast of saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, percussionist James Mtume, and guitarists Reggie Lucas and Pete Cosey seemingly blasts off to outer space and travels distant galaxies by the time this minimally edited record runs its course — Davis’ own playing often remains overlooked. As critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton observed, it is “often fantastically subtle, creating surges and ebbs in a harmonically static line, allowing him to build huge melismatic variations on a single note.” He attacks like a man on a mission, out to prove naysayers wrong and bent on trailblazing another new path forward. Convention and skeptics be damned.

Noisy and furious, dark and discordant, abstract and off-balance, radical and intense, abrasive and atmospheric, strangely beautiful and hypnotically eccentric: Agharta evades simple description, and refuses to be pinned down in any established category — rock, jazz, punk, ambient, prog, avante-garde, or otherwise. Shot through with trench-deep grooves, screaming riffs, scalding solos, and free-improv leads, its cosmic thrust comes on as the equivalent of an animated pointillist painting comprised of millions of textured dots, dashes, and dabs that hold your attention so raptly you want to revisit the ideas again and again.

Always steps ahead of everyone else, Davis knew what he was doing even when Agharta debuted in Japan before later hitting U.S. markets. Though “Maiysha” and “Theme from Jack Johnson” are identified in the track listing, the record contains a number of uncredited references to other Davis works, including a nod to “So What.” This decision to bypass labels only adds to the art of the reveal — the rare black magic in which Agharta expertly deals.

The album 'Sueno', produced by Kip Hanrahan, was originally released in 1989 and is one of Palmieri's more introspective and harmonically rich projects. The album seamlessly blends salsa and Latin jazz with modern jazz elements and features an outstanding line-up of musicians such as David Sanborn, Brian Lynch and Francisco Aguabella. Tracks such as 'Azucar' (a reinterpreted classic) and 'Just a Little Dream' once again showcase Palmieris genius for composition and improvisation. 'Sueno' has been remastered in excellent quality by Intuition Music for the Master Series, highlighting the album's multi- layered arrangements and rhythmic complexity. This reissue honours Palmieri's musical legacy and underscores the timelessness of his sound

Recorded during that unique period in the late ‘60s when jazz, blues and rock musicians found common ground in London’s vibrant subterranean clubs, 1968s Definitely What! was the second of the run of the four ground-breaking Trinity albums. Showcasing Auger's open-minded approach and his masterful organ & piano skills, the album whips up a rich blend of jazz, R&B, psychedelic touches and soulful grooves, complemented by the tight, dynamic rhythm section of Dave Ambrose (bass) and Clive Thacker (drums).

After the previous year’s Open (1967) with its 'Summer of Love' feel and its melting pot of Mod R&B, cover versions of US soul hits led by Julie Driscoll’s inimitable vocals, Auger considered Definitely What! as his first solo album, and so he travelled deeper into jazz territory, balancing original pieces with audacious covers. Tracks include versions of Mose Allison's 'If You Live' and of Wes Montgomery’s ‘Bumpin’ On Sunset’. “I got a letter from Wes's wife,” recalls Auger, “saying that it was Wes' favourite version. Can you believe that, Wes's wife wrote to me!”

Elsewhere, we find a dramatic re-arrangement of The Beatles’ ‘A Day In The Life’ complete with orchestral strings and a punchy horn section, alongside a supercharged version of Booker T & The MGs’ ‘Red Beans & Rice’ . 'George Bruno Money' was dedicated to Auger's drinking pal of the era, Zoot Money, and 'John Browns Body' both combine prime Hammond jazz with the very British surrealist humour that was in vogue at the time. The title track goes further “out” in a sprawling instrumental piece rooted in experimentation. Brian himself specifically states in his sleeve notes that his concept “lies along a straight line drawn between pop and jazz and aims at the 'fusion' of both elements” - ‘fusion’ at that time was not even a recognised musical term, further reinforcing Auger’s credentials as an innovator.

That forward-thinking approach was developed in Open and Definitely What! would come to fruition a year later with the release of Streetnoise (1969) featuring the Trinity and Julie Driscoll. At the time, the move to bring together jazz, rhythm & blues, folk, gospel and pop into a progressive new sound may have annoyed the purists and confused the less open- minded, but these albums stand today as a testament to Auger’s unique position within British music, foreshadowing his future 1970s explorations with the Oblivion Express and beyond. Definitely What! remains a fascinating snapshot of 1960s musical experimentation - raw, eclectic, and unapologetically Auger!

This new Strut reissue is curated by Impressive Collective’s Greg Boraman in partnership with Brian and Karma Auger. The album is remastered by Cosmic Audio from the original tapes, and is packaged in Brian's favourite version of the 3 different sleeves the album was originally issued in.

Take Brian Jackson and Gil Scott-Heron’s iconic track “The Bottle”, add a sublime vocal performance from UK soul legend Omar, and put it in the hands of house music pioneers Masters At Work—and you get a version that’s both timeless and urgent, filled with joy, fire, and social consciousness, and built for the dancefloor. Driven by Masters At Work’s signature attention to detail, and elevated by the calibre of the musicians and vocalists involved, this reimagining of “The Bottle” evolved into something truly epic. In fact, the final mix turned out too long to fit on Brian Jackson’s upcoming 3LP album, Now More Than Ever—but everyone agreed: fans had to hear it in its full glory.

So here it is, released exactly as intended on this twin 12" vinyl and digital EP. Also included are exclusive versions of: “Winter in America” featuring sonorous vocals from Rich Medina “New York City”, reimagined as a deeply soulful, downtempo groove featuring Cindy Mizelle, Dawn Tallman, and Ramona Dunlap This EP is a love letter to the role of music in Black Liberation, reconnecting the powerful legacy of Brian Jackson and Gil Scott-Heron with the voices and vision of 2025. A powerful taste of what’s to come on Now More Than Ever—but also a vital standalone statement, delivered by legends at the top of their game

Wolfgang Muthspiel und sein Trio mit Scott Colley am Bass und Brian Blade am Schlagzeug („Zusammen haben sie etwas von der Empathie des Bill Evans Trios“ – Downbeat) starten mit einer feinfühligen
Interpretation von Keith Jarretts „Lisbon Stomp“ swingend in ihr drittes Aufnahmeprojekt, die vielleicht
abenteuerlichste Trio-Aufnahme der Gruppe. Auf dem gesamten Album richten der österreichische Gitarrist
und seine amerikanischen Mitstreiter das Augenmerk jedoch auf Muthspiels fesselnde Eigenkompositionen,
die lyrische Balladen („Pradela“, „Traversia“), subtile Folk-Einflüsse („Strumming“, „Flight“) sowie leicht
angeschrägten Kammerjazz („Weill You Wait“) und twangy Rock ’n’ Roll („Roll“) umfassen. Wie gewohnt
wechselt Muthspiel fließend zwischen akustischer und elektrischer Gitarre und präsentiert seinen sanften
Anschlag und seine fließenden Linien in einem Programm, das die gesamte Bandbreite des idiomatischen
Spektrums zu umfassen scheint, das er in den letzten Jahrzehnten entfaltet hat. Mit einer raffnierten
Interpretation von Paul Motians „Abacus“ als Finale des Albums schließt Muthspiel eine große Lücke in
der Geschichte des Jazz und von ECM. Das Album ist nach der japanischen Hauptstadt benannt, wo es
im Oktober 2024 aufgenommen wurde. Tokyo wurde im Februar 2025 in München abgemischt, und von
Manfred Eicher produziert.

Sdban Records is proud to announce the first official reissue of Coal Mining, the 1978 debut album by Dutch jazz pianist René van Helsdingen. This album marks a significant milestone-the beginning of van Helsdingen's decades-spanning career as an innovative and independent musician.

Born in 1957 in Jakarta, Indonesia, but holding Dutch nationality, René van Helsdingen began classical piano studies in the Netherlands in the early 1960s. While initially following in his family's footsteps by enrolling in mining engineering at the Technical University of Delft, his passion for music ultimately prevailed. His academic path may have diverged, but it set the stage, both figuratively and literally, for what would become an extraordinary musical career.

Coal Mining was originally released on Munich Records, a respected Dutch jazz and roots label founded by music producer and musician Job Zomer. The album features a blend of jazz influences from giants such as Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, and Bill Evans, and showcases van Helsdingen's distinctive voice as a composer and pianist at the very start of his professional journey.

The record includes contributions from a rich ensemble of musicians, including Wim Essed (bass), Klaus Flenter (guitar), Børge Ring (double bass), Henk Zomer (drums), Martijn Nesenberend (drums), Dick Pluim (bass), and even a student orchestra formed during van Helsdingen's time at Delft University.

Often mistakenly referred to as Piano, a result of the album's back cover design prominentlyfeaturing the word, Coal Mining is both a literal and symbolic title. It alludes not only to van Helsdingen's brief academic past, but to the depth and labor of jazz creation itself: layered, gritty, and forged under pressure.

A year after the album's release, van Helsdingen moved to Los Angeles to continue his jazz studies. While living in Hollywood, he shared a house with future musical collaborators including Kent Brinkley, Essiet Okon Essiet, Brian Batie, John Rigby, Edmond Allmond, David Best and John Butler. Even in the early stages of his career, van Helsdingen displayed the entrepreneurial spirit that would define his path, self-releasing albums and even pioneering an early form of crowdfunding by selling 400 ad spaces on a record sleeve to finance an LP project. After his jazz studies in Los Angeles, he performed extensively in Europe, Canada, the U.S., Australia and Asia, often traveling with his own 'Stage bus', which housedboth a stage and instruments.

In August 2018, van Helsdingen was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Despite the physical challenges brought on by the condition, he continues to perform and compose music. His openness about the diagnosis-shared publicly in a 2019 documentary-has helped raise awareness of Parkinson's and the role of creativity and improvisation as tools for resilience.

Now, nearly five decades after its initial release, Coal Mining is finally receiving a well-deserved reissue. Introducing a new generation of listeners to the raw talent and visionary beginnings of a true European jazz original.

*Long overdue reissue of the first album by The Hanging Stars to coincide with their tour support slot with Edwyn Collins – initial 300 copies come with 12 x 12 print*

“In late-Sixties California, the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers combined traditional country music with hippy rock to great success. The influence lingered and whatever cultural relevance it has this is a delightful, transporting listen” – The Times 4/5

London-based psych-folk outfit The Hanging Stars re-release their much-loved debut album Over the Silvery Lake on Crimson Crow. Blending folk pastoralism with swampy 60s Americana, they sound like the missing link between the California desert sun and the grey skies of London Town. The album was recorded between LA, Nashville and Walthamstow, with each of these vastly different places leaving an indelible mark on the songs.

Now signed to the Loose Records label and fronted by London-based songwriter, singer and guitarist Richard Olson (The See See, Eighteenth Day of May), The Hanging Stars are essentially a loose collective of people who weave together a blissed-out psychedelic tapestry. The rest of the core band is made up of Sam Ferman on bass and Paulie Cobra on drums, Horse on pedal steel and Patrick Ralla on banjo, guitar. They jam rather than write and hang out rather than rehearse, harnessing a kind of tipsy euphoria resplendent with luscious arrangements and glorious vocal harmonies.

During 2015, prior to this album’s original release the band released two critically acclaimed singles via The Great Pop Supplement (both of which also appear on the album). “Golden Vanity” was premiered by The Line of Best Fit who said; “you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd just unearthed a rare deep cut from the late 60s/early 70s boom of psychedelia infused Americana” and “The House on The Hill” was described by The Guardian as; "a hazy, desert-dream of a song, nicely sharpened with steely-eyed guitars, Mersey-laced harmonies and just a whiff of the Gun Club”.

There are a number of allusions to nature and the weather on the album, borne in part out of the contrasting surroundings in which it was produced. The band’s fascination with Americana led them to record some of the material Stateside, laying down some of the parts at Battle Tapes Studios in Nashville (Lambchop, Paperhead), as well as at Vision Quest Studios in Los Angeles with Rob Campanella. His work with The Quarter After, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Beachwood Sparks The Tyde, and GospelbeacH was a perfect match to capture their sound and they even had San Franciscan legend Chrystof Certik step in on lead guitar for a couple of tracks.

Following the LA recordings, a trip to the Californian desert provided the core notion of what they wanted to produce - a shard of light that they clung on to whilst recording the rest of the album in the significantly more rain-soaked atmosphere of Walthamstow, London, under the watchful eye of Brian O'Shaughnessy at Bark Studios (The Clientele, Comet Gain). As the band explained at the time: “Ultimately we hope you can hear both the sand and the rain in this record.”

The Hanging Stars place themselves firmly as part of a long folk tradition encompassing European and North American influences – as a continuation rather than a pastiche of these styles. This is the sound of a band really coming in to their own, fully formed and in no doubt of their vision. With Over the Silvery Lake they succeeded in producing a record, which has the country, blues and folk traditions at its heart.

Die richtigen Songs, aneinandergereiht, geben eine belebte Vision unserer Umgebung, als ob frische Augen allein durch Rhythmus gewährt werden können, neue Formen für das verwitterte Drahtgerüst der Welt finden und die Schatten sehen, wie sie mit dem Licht des Tages tanzen. Animal Hospital, die neue LP der Chicagoer Art Punks Ganser, ist ein Monument der Beobachtung, ein Wälzer verirrter Gedanken, die aufgesammelt wurden, während sie sich durch eine Menschenmenge bewegten, die sich zu einer kollektiven Betrachtung der absurden Widersprüche von vorbeiziehenden Leben zusammenfügte. Animal Hospital ist das dynamischste Album von Ganser, das die Grenzen ihres Sounds in neue Bereiche ausdehnt und die elastischen Grenzen des Klangs testet. Der Kern der Band, Alicia Gaines, Sophie Sputnik und Brian Cundiff, bleiben unbeirrt treibenden Mustern treu; Schlagzeug, das mit exakten Beats auf das Herz schlägt, Puls, der von Bass und Gitarren beschleunigt wird, Synthies, die die Nerven beruhigen. Ein endloser Rhythmus unter Füßen, die sich im Takt auf einer Tanzfläche bewegen oder auf einem Bürgersteig. Was hier zusammengetragen wurde, ist eine Sammlung von Beobachtungen, Erinnerungen an die Minuten, die zu Tagen wurden, die damit verbracht wurden, zu beobachten, wie sich die Menschlichkeit in den Menschen verändert und in neue Richtungen dreht. Die Menschen haben ihre Streifen und Flecken gewechselt, oder vielleicht haben sie nur die Zeichen gezeigt, die sie schon immer hatten. Das Leben wurde auf Distanz gehalten. Die Masken wurden straff gezogen. Die Erforschung der surrealen Wahrheiten, die in unseren Herzen schlummern, hat etwas Tiefgründiges, dass das Traurige und Alltägliche so mühelos mit dem Absurden und dem Schönen spielen kann, um etwas Eindringliches, etwas Auffallendes zu schaffen, Lieder, die stechen und aufsteigen und gleichzeitig zum Tanzen auffordern. Aufgenommen in den Jamdek Studios von Doug Malone (mit zusätzliche Aufnahmen von Nick Broste bei Electrical Audio) und produziert in Partnerschaft mit dem langjährigen Verbündeten Angus Andrews (Liars) zwischen Januar und März 2025, ist Animal Hospital ein Meisterwerk von Gansers Handwerk. Songs, die ihr Leben als Notizen begannen, die bereits im Jahr 2020 gekritzelt wurden (mit Ausnahme von ,stripe", einem Demo, das 2021 überarbeitet wurde), wurden hier auf Band geschliffen und in Wachs gepresst. Ganser haben ihren Sound ausgebaut, Mauern errichtet, die sich zu neuen Höhen auftürmen, und Charlie Landsman und Dove Hollis haben sich auf dem Album zusammengetan, um das Fundament zu stützen. Die Zeit auf Tour mit Künstlern wie IDLES, Mclusky und Ted Leo, sowie Shows mit Amyl & The Sniffers, Bikini Kill, Viagra Boys und so vielen anderen haben das unauslöschliche Talent, das in allen Ecken von Gansers Arbeit lauert, nur noch mehr geschärft. Musik, die sich weigert zu glauben, dass irgendetwas wahr ist, dass stattdessen alle Dinge Kraft und Geheimnisse in ihren Schatten bergen, und dass wir nur dann die unausweichliche Schönheit aller widersprüchlichen Dinge verstehen können, wenn wir uns alle auf den Boden begeben und uns einen Sinn geben.

Get ready for a musical journey like no other as Apollo Junction, the dynamic and innovative indie rock sensation, prepares to launch their eagerly awaited new album, ’What In The World’ on August 22nd. The members of Apollo Junction hail from Leeds, UK. Known for their electrifying live performances and genre-blurring sound, the band has captured the hearts of music enthusiasts worldwide.

With a strong and dedicated fan base, Apollo Junction continues to push the boundaries of their craft, creating music that resonates on a profound level. Apollo Junction’s new album ‘What in the World’ has been years in the making - born from highs, lows, countless gigs, and all the chaos in between. It’s the most honest version of the band yet, a record shaped by every late-night argument, every breakthrough, every crazy story they have ever told each other.

Recorded at Chairworks Studio with David Watts (The Reytons, OMD, Paul Heaton, and Kaiser Chiefs) the album also features tracks co-written with Eliot Kennedy (known for his work with Bryan Adams and the Spice Girls) and includes a track with a powerful guest vocal from Brianna Corrigan of The Beautiful South. Lead singer Jamie Williamson explains the importance of the album: “This album feels exactly right for where we are now. Every track is a snapshot—of getting lost, finding our way back, and remembering why we started. It’s about making something that feels like home. We went looking for meaning and realised it was right in front of us: the band, the songs, this record. ‘What in the World’ isn’t just a title—it’s the answer we’ve been chasing all along.” Leeds-based quintet Apollo Junction is made up of Jamie Williamson (singer) Matthew Wilson (guitarist), Ben Hope (bassist), Jonny Thornton (drummer) and Sam Potter (keyboards). Their shared love of live music and dedication to performing, coupled with an incredible hard-work ethic has taken them on this magical journey which has included support slots for Shed Seven, Kaiser Chiefs, Richard Ashcroft and performing at festivals including the prestigious Isle of Wight Festival. Coming up this summer, the lads will be playing with Blossoms, Manic Street Preachers and Doves

Originally conceived as a compilation of outtakes and live recordings from The Shadow Ring's 1995 stateside tour, Wax-Work Echoes takes its name from the first line of "Put the Music in Its Coffin," the title track of the group's breakthrough release. Lambkin abandons the bitsand- bobs approach, advancing the Shadow Ring concept with entirely original material that builds on the unit's self-mythologizing lyrics, celebrates the clicking of horse hooves, ponders on the sociability of rats and mice, and warns of the dangers of poultry. The first Shadow Ring album to officially include Tim Goss in the main lineup, Wax- Work Echoes reveals the group in its final and lasting form, awash in the outer bounds of atmospheric exploration, with Lambkin's familiar wry and morbid lyricism and the stripped-down angularity of amateurishly detuned guitars fully intact. While Klaus Canterbury and Tony Clark seem all but forgotten, and the shrugged off S. Fritz is listed on the liner notes as performing only "when required," Lambkin did solicit contributions from outside the inner circle. A bit of "Mambo Twist," lifted from a tape of unreleased Vitamin B12 material sent to Lambkin by Alasdair Willis, found its way into "V.E.R.M.I.N.," while an extended epistle contribution from Richard Youngs (and, technically, Brian Lavelle) would be employed in the second half of "Catching Sight/Of Passing Things." Released on CD in 1996 for Bruce Russell's newly minted Corpus Hermeticum, Wax-Work Echoes was recorded concurrently with intense rehearsal periods, in anticipation of the forthcoming "Rose Watson Tour," and was supported by a celebratory fanzine media blitz. The album seemingly absorbs the frenetic excess of the band's transatlantic travels; Wax-Work Echoes channels the trio's wilder instincts into an unresolved catharsis, not yet free of frustration or restlessness. Out of print for almost three decades and available here for the first time ever on long-playing disc, Wax-Work Echoes is a classic from the outer eddies of The Shadow Ring's sound, a must-have for any aficionado's collection: "A window slides, glass slips from frame / And canvas carcass breathes again." Throughout their legendary, decade-long run, the Shadow Ring were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. Before their disbandment in 2002, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of rowdy teenagers in southeast England, left behind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7"s, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zine appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, all which have bolstered their enduring word-of-mouth mystique. Beginning in 2023 with the first-ever vinyl pressing of the self-released pre-Shadow Ring tape The Cat & Bells Club (1992), Blank Forms Editions has been conducting a systematic retrospective of the storied group. Wax-Work Echoes and Hold Onto I.D. are the latest releases in a multiyear reissue effort that includes several LPs, a comprehensive CD box set, and a nearly five-hundred-page book.

DJ Support: Tedd Patterson, Michael Gray, David Penn, Mousse T, Brian Tappert, Hector Romero, Derrick Mckenzie.

Definite Grooves 'Disco Light' EP is a vibrant, disco-infused collection that merges classic grooves with modern production. The title track, 'Disco Light', is a fun disco gem, capturing a Disco 70s mood with a fresh House twist. 'Getting Stronger' takes the funk further, building up to a filtered disco crescendo that's perfect for late-night floors, oozing with energy and sleek edits. On the flip side, 'Sundown' offers a happier vibe, giving the EP a well-rounded feel with its rich bassline and Vocal Hook. Finally, 'Let It show' is catchy and playful, bringing a polished sound that keeps the rhythm flowing. Altogether, 'Disco Light' is a solid pick for those craving both nostalgic and modern dancefloor moments.

'Maybe I'm Dreaming' ist die neueste Sammlung von Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring) und Keith Abrahamsson (Gründer und Leiter A&R bei Anthology Recordings) - den Köpfen hinter den beliebten Kompilationen 'Follow the Sun', 'Sad About the Times' und '...Still Sad'. Die zwanzig Tracks von 'Maybe I'm Dreaming' weichen von ihren Vorgängern ab. Sie stammen vollständig aus privaten Pressungen und umspannen neue Jahrzehnte und Produktionsmodi innerhalb der Genres Homepunk-Folk, Softrock und sonstiger FM-Radio-Musik der 70er und 80er Jahre. Die Magie von 'Maybe I'm Dreaming' liegt in den unerzählten Geschichten der Künstler:innen, die hinter diesen Liedern stehen - diejenigen, die den großen Durchbruch verpasst haben, deren Songhandwerk und unerwiderte Sorgfalt aber die richtigen Töne treffen.

'Maybe I'm Dreaming' taucht tief in die isolierte Wildnis ein - eine private Welt, in der Produktionsmacken, nächtliches Bandrauschen und Ein-Mann-Studio-Träume keine Wahl waren, sondern das ausgeteilte Blatt.

Die Songs wurden in persönlichen Sammlungen, in den Tiefen von YouTube, in verfallenen Webarchiven und in den düsteren Ecken von Discogs ausgegraben. Die Auswahl vieler Stücke basiert dabei nicht nur auf Intuition, sondern auch auf persönlichen Verbindungen. Einige Tracks wurden über Freunde entdeckt und fügen der Zusammenstellung einen unsichtbaren, aber tief empfundenen Faden der Kameradschaft hinzu.

Zwar entfernt sich 'Maybe I'm Dreaming' vom Archetyp des „traurigen Mannes mit Gitarre“, der über den Vorgängern schwebte, aber die vertraute emotionale Schwere bleibt erhalten - eine Balance aus Sehnsucht und Leichtigkeit, die diese Ecke des musikalischen Universums definiert. Jeder Track schwankt sanft zwischen Resignation und Hoffnung, Traurigkeit und Gelassenheit, als würden die Künstler selbst einem unerreichbaren Traum hinterherjagen und die Aufnahmen nicht wegen des Ruhmes, sondern aus dem einfachen Bedürfnis heraus machen, diesen ursprünglichen, kreativen Drang in die Welt hinauszutragen.

'Maybe I'm Dreaming' ist eine Einladung, noch ein wenig länger mit halb geschlossenen Augen im Grenzbereich zwischen Erinnerung und Vorstellung zu schweben. Vielleicht träumst du. Vielleicht bist du wach. Vielleicht spielt es keine Rolle.

- 2LP: (Das Doppel-LP-Set mit dem Artwork von Dang Wayne Olsen wird in einer breiten Kartontasche mit bedruckten Innenhüllen geliefert. Zudem enthält es einen Traumtagebucheintrag von Josh Lewellen, dem Experten für Artefakte aus dem pazifischen Nordwesten.)

Schon bevor Richard Pinhas Anfang der 70er begann, Musik zu machen, war er Fan von King Crimson. Bis heute hat ihn die Musik der britischen Band nicht losgelassen, aber am größten war deren Einfluss sicherlich ganz am Anfang. Auf dem zweiten Heldon-Album "Allez-Teia" wird das besonders deutlich. Es erschien 1975 auf Pinhas" eigenem Label Disjuncta. Der Eröffnungssong, eine schwebende Mischung aus Mellotronklängen und einer verwischten Gitarre, trägt den Titel "In The Wake Of King Fripp". Diese doppelte Anspielung bezieht sich einerseits auf den Bandgitarristen Robert Fripp und andererseits auf "In The Wake Of Poseidon", das zweite King-Crimson-Album. Das meditative "Omar Diop Blondin" mit seinen frei schwebenden Tönen über einer repetitiven Gitarrenfigur ist ausdrücklich Brian Eno und Fripp gewidmet. Ebenfalls großen Einfluss auf Pinhas übte Robert Wyatt von Soft Machine aus. Trotzdem ist "Allez-Teia" kein Tribut-Album. Die Stücke, die Pinhas zusammen mit seinem Partner Georges Grunblatt erarbeitete, erscheinen auf den ersten Blick freudig-schön, tragen jedoch alle eine angespannte Unterströmung in sich. Sie bilden ein Wechselspiel aus federleichter Akustikgitarre, Mellotron-Teppichen, Fuzz-Sounds und schweren, sphärischen Synthesizer-Klängen.

Pioneering British electronic musician Mark Van Hoen is set to release his latest solo album, The Eternal Present, on 23 May 2025 via Dell'Orso, a remarkable collection of tracks spanning nearly three decades of recordings from 1998 to 2024.
The Eternal Present embodies its philosophical title, inspired by Joseph Campbell's concept that "Eternity isn't some later time... Eternity is that dimension of here and now that all thinking in temporal terms cuts off." The album explores music as the ultimate expression of existing in the present moment, transcending time and creating a sonic experience that is simultaneously "spectral, ghostly, melodic, harmonic, and decayed."
An influential contemporary of Aphex Twin, Autechre, LFO and Boards of Canada, Van Hoen is best known for his solo work as Locust in the mid-'90s, which helped push post-rave electronic music into newly challenging realms. His extensive discography spans releases on influential labels including R&S, Touch, and Editions Mego. Van Hoen has worked on numerous collaborations throughout his career, including with Nick Holton and Neil Halstead of Slowdive under the moniker Black Hearted Brother—their album Stars Are Our Home was released in 2013.
The Eternal Present continues the lineage of Van Hoen's most significant works, with artwork by Ian Anderson (Designers Republic) reflecting the album's "eternal present" concept with a mysterious visual approach, allowing listeners to form their own imaginary landscapes. The mastering by Stefan Betke (Pole) enhances this document of the evolution of the artist over the years as he continues to hone his signature sound. Using a host of instruments including analogue synthesisers and employing various recording approaches, Van Hoen's equipment changed dramatically over the years—from early DSP processing used on his first solo record on Apollo ‘Playing With Time’ to various synthesisers, modular systems, tape machines, and digital workstations—contributing to the album's rich sonic diversity.
Throughout The Eternal Present, ideas are woven together through spoken word quotations and abstract vocals featuring notable collaborations from Rachel Goswell on the Slowdive cover "Shine" (from 1998), Megan Mitchell (Cruel Diagonals) on "Somewhere", and session vocalists Clare Dove and Dorothy Takev on "No-One Leave" and "It's Not You (In A Way)" respectively. The use of cleverly assembled vocal samples from an "undisclosed but very famous female vocalist" on "Multiplex" (2016) and the indistinct vocalisations on the Cabaret Voltaire-influenced "Only Me" (2017), constantly challenges and disorientates the listener through fluctuating, ever-changing musical elements.
The album was recorded across multiple locations including Somerset, London, Los Angeles, and New York—even beginning compositions during flights and in airport lounges—reflecting Van Hoen's changing personal circumstances, environments, and situations throughout the years.
Of Indian-Jamaican descent, Van Hoen was born and raised in England, absorbing diverse musical influences from his neighbors—African-Jamaican on one side and Punjabi Indian on the other. "Each family played their own music frequently, and I absorbed it." His musical foundations include Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, OMD, Tangerine Dream, Japan, Cabaret Voltaire, and Cocteau Twins, later finding inspiration in My Bloody Valentine, LFO, and '90s producers Robert Leiner and CJ Bolland.
These eclectic influences are evident on The Eternal Present, which contains snapshots of different periods in his life, with changing circumstances across decades creating a variety of textures and sounds. As Mark explains: "It holds the same sonic signature as many of my solo releases and early Locust albums. It's a natural development that has taken place in the last few decades. It's even related to the earliest music I made as a teenager, although perhaps more sophisticated."
“What a remarkably affecting, majestically broad and captivating work it is..what strikes you most is the album’s myriad diversity. Outstanding” (Electronic Sound)

“Whether channelling mid- 70’s Eno, early Aphex Twin or Neu! his vivid sounds shimmer with emotional weight” (Mojo 4*)

"Musically, Van Hoen belongs to a distinguished family tree. Originally influenced by the likes of Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream, and later presaging both Autechre's glitch and Boards of Canada's pastoral IDM." (Pitchfork)

Originally issued on Hut Records in October 2002, Human Conditions built on the success of Alone With Everybody, retaining the new fans he had gained with that record - This re-issue replicates the 2002 UK first pressing and is available on audiophile 180g double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

"It's a beautiful world," sings Ashcroft on opening track and lead single "Check The Meaning". Its eight-minutes seem a culmination of all of Ashcroft's work to date – a haunting guitar figure, swelling strings, and subtle orchestration back a lyric that catalogues the battle of love over evil, ending with Ashcroft assuring the listener "It's gonna be alright." It is a powerful beginning to a powerful album. "Buy It In Bottles" maintains the introspection of "The Drugs Don't Work", a mood that can be also found on "Running Away" and "Lord I've Been Trying"; while "Bright Lights" and "Paradise" bring the anthemic rock.

When Brian Wilson guests on one of your albums, it suggests a certain status has been attained; Richard Ashcroft demonstrated that he could hold his own in such company; both are songwriters of the human condition, and the song Wilson appears on "Nature Is The Law", closes Human Conditions in stellar fashion.

Wonderwheel is happy to present the very first pressing of Nickodemus' longtime classic "Sun People", pressed on translucent yellow vinyl. Originally released in 2009 by Thievery Corporation's Eighteenth Street Lounge label, "Sun People" was built with songs made for people who love the sun, sunshine and brighter days to come. Appropriate, of course, as Nickodemus has made his mark soundtracking NYC summers with his massively popular Turntables On The Hudson live events as well as with 20 consecutive years touring the World. The songs were inspired by various people Nickodemus met and places he's been, along with his collective feelings of optimism. It's these positive sonic vibes from all over the globe that Nickodemus matches with collaborators hailing from destinations including Guinea, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Romania, India, Turkey, United Kingdom and New York City. These are the Sun People.As songs like "N'dini" "Sun Children" & "The Love Feeling" continue to kept parties dancing until today, "Calle Sol" & "Gira Do Sol" are being discovered by new fans & playlists today. As Jason Bentley, former Music Director at KCRW once said, "Sun People reflects a rich musicality, while infectious rhythms keep the party live. Nickodemus truly knows
no borders on this global dancefloor."Wonderwheel recordings is happy to keep the fire burning with this special limited color vinyl reissue out on June 21st, 2024.

a 01: Sun People (Intro) feat. Ismael Kouyaté
b 02: Sun Children (Original Mix) [feat. The Real Live Show]

Sally Anne Morgan is an artist and naturalist in the purest senses. Raised on old time and Appalachian folk traditions, Morgan"s artistry embodies the rich life of the communities and natural world she surrounds herself with. Based in Alexander, NC on the edge of Appalachia and the Pisgah National Forest, Sally"s blend of traditional technique and distinctly modern compositional approach are infused with the sounds of her garden, surrounding pastures, forests and mountains. Guest synthesis Sean Dunlap (Field Patterns) and hurdy-gurdy player Brian "Geologist" Weitz (Animal Collective) embellish pieces with droning thrums and sonic moss. Second Circle The Horizon is an album built on Morgan"s singular artistic voice as an improviser and composer intertwined with deft intuition. Morgan"s music highlights her bond with nature, and how its beauty and the beauty of artistic creation are interwoven. The album celebrates creation, revels in discovery, and marvels at the complex patterns, intersectional cycles and simple beauty of a creative life intertwined with the natural world.